WARSKYL Conference Report

Well, it's over, and the 39 attendees seemed genuinely pleased with the content.

There were a few minor errors in the PowerPoint presentation, but they are easily fixed, and the presentation should go even more smoothly next time. (Yes, it was no sooner over when deolexrex was talking about the next conference).

Kudos to Colton (richardthelionhearted) and deolexrex (his dad) for the planning and efforts that went into the event. They will also be preparing the recording of the conference to be distributed along with the manual & the PowerPoint. More on that at a later time.

Also thanks to Providence Church for letting us use their facilities. The coordinators and most of the attendees are members of Providence.

It was great to meet so many fine Christian Martialist sheepdogs. The fellowship was incredible, and the questions & participation were great. After it was all over, a good number hung around for quite awhile.

Well, that's about it. I was pleased with the response. Hope we can see more of you there, next time.

Street Fight - Quick Technique

Today, another guest article by Keith Pascal. Hope you like it. Posts may be few and far between for the next couple of weeks, as we'll be traveling.

Street Fight - Quick Technique

by Keith Pascal

I don’t know about you, but my main goal is to stay safe (and yes, to keep my loved ones safe and sound as well).

If I were with my family on the street and someone attacked, then I don’t think I’d have the option of running away. I’d have to stay and protect. This makes sense, right?

Well, if I were alone ... it would be a completely different story.

I could ... and would ... without hesitation ... RUN AWAY!

If there were any chance of me being successful, I’d get out of the danger zone as quickly as possible.

No loss of face. No bruised ego.

I am a martial arts expert. My main goal is not necessarily to parade my skills ... it’s to stay safe. (I feel the need to emphasize that point over and over again.)

If the best way to stay safe is to escape ... to run as fast as I can ... then I am out of there.

I stay and fight, if I have to.

What If You Have to Stay and Fight?

OK, I am going to give you a second chance at my first technique:

The attacker approaches. He (or she) is ready to fight. To attack -- to get involved in a real street fight.

As the bad guy reaches you, I want you to assess the situation. Quickly. You are looking for one main objective. Can you push or shove this person into something or over something, or hard enough for you to ... you guessed it ... turn, and run away?

[Still the main goal, eh?]

Taking the Street Fight to The Next Level

OK, let’s say the shove and run won’t work. No chairs to push your enemy into. No lawn statues around.

Maybe you have to take it to the next level?

Could you kick your enemy’s shin ... and then run away?

Maybe one solid punch and then an escape?

If your goal is to stay safe, then your first priority should always be to get to safety. Your ego can’t get involved. And let me guarantee, a true martial arts master would never hesitate to ... avoid a fight.

Would you like to know more about street fighting? If you have to ... if you can’t get away, then you’ll have to be ready ...

This Free ebooklet will help you to be ready for any street fight -- any attack. Download Free - "Street Fighting Tips #1 - Ready for Anyone and Anything". Keith Pascal has been a full-time martial-arts writer for eight years and a martial-arts teacher for 25 years. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Pascal

Another Overhand Right Video

This one is a small screen on a page promoting self defense videos. I know zip about the product, but the video on the page is priceless.

The lesson? If you're dancing, dance. If you're fighting, fight. Don't confuse the two.

Here's the link:
Overhand Right

Also, you can expect a post on Friday, but after that it will be catch-as-catch-can for a couple of weeks. The WARSKYL conference is scheduled for Saturday, worship on Sunday & a few days with family, & then we stop for two days in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky for Court Days where we will be vendors (my new job as self-employed guy).

On the Horizon

Is persecution on the horizon for the Church in America? If the civil authority makes war on Christians, what is the role of the Christian Martialist? Or what if the civil leaders sit back and allow private third parties to ravage Christian churches and homes, as is happening in India and other places, today?

I don't know all the answers, but I suppose I should start looking for them. I sent out the following email this morning (Note, the user removed the first video from youtube, but I found another source and it works for now):

In 1980 American Christians started to view their candidates messianically. They voted for Reagan because they wanted him to save America from liberal incursions. In '88 Reagan passed the mantle to Bush I, and in 2000 I received emails -- from a Baptist minister -- saying that anyone who did not vote for Bush II was doing NOTHING to rescue America.

How long before the other side started to play the game of Messianic politics? How long before they would take a title (Alpha & Omega) that belongs to Jesus alone and apply it to their political leader? Well, here it is, and it ain't pretty. In fact, it's more than a little disturbing.


These young men are compared to the Hitler Youth. Interesting comparison. Another parallel is that Hitler was elected on a platform that promised socialized health insurance to all.



(Note not in original email: Did you notice that this Obama worship service took place on a Sunday?)

George W. Bush created Homeland Security, and it is a travesty. His supporters said it was necessary for our protection. What they did not think about was that this engine of tyranny might fall into the hands of the people pictured above.

Sadly, some Christians will read this, view the videos and think, "All the more reason to vote for McCain/Palin." They are missing the point. Republican statism is just as evil as Democratic statism. The Democrats in the videos are just being more consistent in expressing their statist faith.

Weep for America. She is reaping the harvest of seeds sown long ago.

As I watch American politics go to Hell, I thank God that by His grace, I am a subject of the King. "He can't be impeached, and He's not going to resign." (end of e-mail)

Words to live by:

If you can keep
--your conscience clear,
--your powder dry,
--your edge keen, and
--your bowels open,
you will acquit yourself well in the day of battle. ;-)

WARSKYL Conference Update, 2

Continued from "WARSKYL Conference Update" and "WARSKYL Conference Announcement"

I've been working on the PowerPoint presentation for the conference, today. It certainly is time-consuming. As I do so, though, I am seeing what a value this will be, not only for you Christian Martialist males, but also for your womenfolk, as well.

It's not all about fighting -- although we will spend time on physical methods of defense. Here are some of the things we'll cover:

• Attendees will learn how & when violent predators normally attack;
  
• They will learn practical steps that one can take to become a less attractive target to predators;
• They will learn 7 warning signals that indicate a stranger (or acquaintance) may mean them harm;
  
• They will learn how to overcome denial & indecision;
  
• They will learn practical techniques to manage fear & adrenaline stress;
  
• They will learn and practice the response to a potentially violent predator that may convince him to leave them alone;
  
• They will learn and practice a reflex-based defense to the most common street ambush techniques;
  
• They will also learn and practice a handful of simple, brutal and effective defense methods as developed by some of the greatest hand-to-hand combat experts the world has ever seen.

I'm looking forward to seeing as many Christian Martialists as possible there.

Elements of Punching, 3

Continued from "Elements of Punching, 2"

This discussion originated with a question about why certain martial arts/self defense instructors say that it takes months or years to learn to punch effectively. I've shown that some of the reason lies in the necessity of training the body's coordination to develop speed and power.

Some of the Eastern arts, slow down the student's development by elevating form over function. The teach traditional punches which are less effective. Roger Koo of Koo Self Defense comments:

The instructor of those arts is always correcting the student for perfection. At Koo Self Defense, we are not concerned with how pretty the students can look, but by how much power they can generate, and that they are not hurting themselves in the process.

Koo trains his students to punch by devoting 20-30 minutes of every one-hour training session to power punching heavy bags, body shields and focus mitts. The student learns to feel the effectiveness of his punches and make his own corrections. This accelerates the learning curve.

Master Koo says,

That is why the training at Koo Self Defense is Self Corrective, If you punch, or kick wrong you will feel it. Koo Self Defense beginners are taught techniques considered by most martial art organizations to be for advanced students only. For example, what we explained earlier in about other martial arts teaching boxing punches to only Brown Belts above. The round punch (hook) for instance, which is the same punch most street attackers would use, is taught from day one at Koo Self Defense, allowing the student to cultivate this technique from the very beginning rather withholding it until he or she has reached the so called advanced level. As well as using the bare knuckle which takes some time to develop the proper wrist conditioning, our beginners are also taught to deliver the hook using their palms. This is very effective especially for women and children. Within one month of training, all beginners have doubled their hand power.

So, my prescription for the short path to speed and power is to use the training exercises I gave you in "Elements of Punching, 2" and then spend significant time beating the stuffing out of a heavy bag or body shield.

Also, did you notice what he said about hitting with the palm? That leads right into my next point.

Confrontational Types, 5

Continued from "Confrontational Types, 4"

In my original post, "Confrontational Types", I listed the 4 primary types and said, "I might also add a fifth, psychopath." Into this catch-all category, I put stalkers, serial killers & serial rapists (who, if not caught in time, may turn into serial killers), child molesters, what Dan Korem calls random actors (i.e., killers of the Columbine or New Hope variety), and terrorists.

You can think of the serial rapist and serial killer as variations of the true orc. They will generally approach in the same way, try to catch their prey off-guard and ambush him/her. The difference is that these are the ones who will often try to lure or take their victims to a secondary location.

I dealt with the danger of allowing yourself to be taken to a secondary location in "Kidnap Survival Tactic: Do The Opposite". There is one scenario I did not address in that post: what to do if he has a gun.

He points the handgun and says, "Keep quiet and get in the van." From the beginning, you must realize that no matter how frightened you are, your least safe option is to do as he says. He wants to take you away because wherever you are is too close to other people.

Further, he likely does not want to attract attention to himself by discharging a firearm in that place. Therefore, your best tactic is to put distance between yourself and the the orc. Weave back and forth as you run -- it makes you a more difficult target, in case he does decide to fire.

As you run, put cover between you and him (parked cars, utility poles, etc.)Also, the farther away you get, the less likely he will be able to hit you.

At close quarters, a knife can be even more dangerous than a firearm, because he can use it silently, and thus not draw attention to himself. But the knife is effective only out to arm's length. Therefore, distance is once again the best solution. Run like the wind.

If he's close enough to use the knife, I might try an offensive tactic before running away (I'm old, heavy, and I never was a fast runner). A poke to the eyes followed by a half-fist to the throat would probably give me time for a few seconds head-start.

And don't forget that he wants to take you away quietly. As you run, yell or scream for all you're worth.